Meanwhile, Radhika went back to his school and asked the authorities to let her go to the hilltop. Father Nelson gave her permission only after she told him about her suspicions and what she planned to do.

Radhika walked down the narrow pathway that led to the hilltop. She felt the frosty blades of grass crunch under her feet as she walked. She breathed in the faint traces of the happy memories and the horrible tragedy that hung heavy in the air. They were carved into the barks of the trees against which the two boys had sat many times, dreaming about their future.

It took Madhav seven hours to drive up to the hill station. He hadn’t returned to Nainital since he’d left as a boy and the memories came rushing back to him. He felt as though he was going to confront his younger self.

Radhika sat on the hilltop for a while, thinking about what she was about to do, as she faced the wind, feeling its icy touch.

The school was closed for the weekend, so it was extremely quiet, almost uncomfortably so.

Her phone rang. It was Madhav.

‘Radhika, I am here,’ he said and she could hear the uneasiness in his voice.

Madhav looked at the gate leading to the hill and almost broke down. It had been eleven long years since he had last walked that path. Memories flashed in front of his eyes. He could see himself running in his school uniform, following Parth in his wheelchair to their favourite place.

He instinctively knew where to find Radhika. He had been preparing himself to face the place that haunted his dreams, but the familiar acidic feeling rose in his throat and he knew the other voice inside him would try to resist her love and help.

His heart skipped a beat as he walked up the hill. His breath caught in his throat and he almost turned back several times, but the thought of losing Radhika prevented him from succumbing to his fears. He could see her standing on the hilltop. Her silhouette against the familiar backdrop only intensified his fear and he breathed deeply, trying to stop the barrage of emotions from overpowering him.

Radhika knew what she needed to do. Madhav had to reveal the truth he had been hiding all his life, one that had completely taken over his identity and made his existence a lie.

‘Radhika,’ he said, shakily, as he walked up to her.

She turned to look at him. She looked angelic in a black sweater and a long skirt. Silver bangles adorned her wrists while a small bindi decorated her forehead. Her brown hair tumbled gloriously down her shoulders and her eyes shone with her love for him.

‘Why are you doing this to me?’ Madhav asked. The freezing wind blew this way and that, as capricious as his thoughts.

‘What are you doing to yourself?’ she asked, her voice deep with concern for him.